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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Kale

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a wonderful dish for a meatless Monday or Lenten Friday. I know that kale is considered to be a superfood and that whole wheat pasta is better for my family than its paler counterparts, but when I make this dish I don't concentrate on its health benefits. I make it because it tastes so good. Nonetheless, it doesn't hurt to know why this dish is good for you. Like its cousins, broccoli and cauliflower, kale is a descendent of the wild cabbage and it has been eaten for centuries. There are several varieties of kale, each has a unique flavor and texture but all are packed with nutritional value and a boatload of fiber. Curly kale has ruffled leaves with a pungent, peppery flavor. The leaves of Tuscan kale are a dark bluish green and tastes delicately sweet. Ornamental kale is a newer cultivated species that is oftentimes referred to as salad savoy. Its leaves may either be green, white, or purple and have a mild flavor. All varieties of kale are rich in vitamins and minerals, but what really puts kale into the superfood category is its abundance of phytochemicals which are believed to help prevent cell damage, prevent cancer cell replication and decrease cholesterol levels. This pasta is relatively easy to prepare and if you have never used kale in a pasta sauce, I hope you'll give this recipe a try. The dish was originally developed for Gourmet magazine and it appeared again this summer in a special publication called Gourmet's Easy Dinners. Here's how the dish is made.

20 comments
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Look delicious! I've just recently started to eat Kale. First time was the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden. I saw recently a recipe for Kale Chips that looked interesting and now your recipe. Kale must be the new black! :)

I'm on board with you regarding kale. Another thing about it: it's easy to grow, even in the "high desert" conditions of Denver. I take exception to the notion of whole wheat pasta however. If you know of a brand that is even acceptable, I'm sure your many readers would like to know of it.

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